Customer service at gyms

christinajohnson

No way! Gyms are for everyone. Some gyms seem to cater towards just lifting weights and power lifting and other towards cardio and others are a community center like the YMCA. They are also a business and a service being offered in exchange for YOUR money, they would not thrive without CUSTOMERS. I wouldn't spend my hard earned cash at a place like that.

Just before I moved away from home to pursue my Masters I had a bad experience at one of the local gyms as well. I paid hundreds of dollars that year for the owner to show up in a little two seater roadster, shrug and "oh well" the list of broken equipment (that had been broken for weeks) and walk away with the money in the cashbox. I had to struggle to get assistance and very few people wanted to answer general fitness or equipment questions (unless, of course, you wanted to pay for them to be your personal trainer). The owner even treated employees terribly, getting them to work LONG hours and snapping at them. He was sarcastic to me on several occasions as well and wouldn't even speak to people who were not affluent in the community, wealthy or in really good shape. The attitude people displayed towards people who were not in peak condition was abhorrent. I had paid my membership in full for a year. I just went, used what I needed to and let it expire. I have NEVER gone back.

maaleka

NO NO AND OOOOO SO MUCH NO!! you are not crazy and I thank you for sharing your feelings about the whole feeling.. They are very lucky it wasn't me standing there because it would have been REALLY ugly.. Your time is something you can not get back once its gone it is gone!! I am so HAPPY you joined a gym... HUGS and much Love !!

girl_afraid82

My gym is pretty horrific when it comes to customer service too. I joined online rather than in person, which appears to have been my big mistake. Everything went swimmingly for a while, got a call pretty quickly to book in an induction/personal training session as standard. Various automatic e-mails arrived in my inbox explaining next steps, what I'd need to provide, what I'd receive... the usual.

Rocked up to my induction and got introduced to the PT who would show me around. This is where everything started to go downhill.
He didn't seem to really grasp why I was there (not sure how that's even possible haha). At no point did he ask me any health questions to see if I was fit to workout, or accomodate any problems I had.
He had me 'warm up' on the crosstrainer for 5 mins, and then took me over to another section to do some squats and sit ups. At no point did he ask me to stretch, and I stupidly didn't even think to do it... (yes, my own fault in a way, but he's the PT, surely he should have reminded me!). He got me doing some squats that were so low I almost fell over backwards. My legs seized up in between sets, unsurprisingly, and I couldn't carry on... which made me feel like I was really unfit, and I'm not.

After a few more standard exercises, he declared that was it. No cool down, no stretches.
I had to then ask loads of questions, due to him neglecting to show me round. I don't know if it's just me, but on an induction I'd quite like to be shown where the changing room is, how to use the fancy lockers, where the women's only room is, where the paper towels are etc etc.... it was like getting blood out of a stone.

To top it all off... an e-mail had said I would have a membership card ready for collection. The guy behind the counter was like 'Ohhhh I have done themm right... but I don't have the key to the cupboard because it's Saturday.... come back another day and it'll be waiting'.
I came back. They said 'I don't have any cards right now... can you come back in the week?'.
I can only work out evenings and weekends, so I duly came back on a weekday evening... nobody had any means to create new cards. They did me up some sort of temporary card, with my details in marker pen, which is now coming off. I'm bored of asking for a proper one now... not sure why nobody else at that gym seemed to have trouble getting their membership card?!

I kind of feel like I've been treated as a bit of an afterthought, because I didn't join up in person... like I've somehow missed out on a load of information I was meant to get. Why bother offering the option to join online, if you're not willing to sort that customer out with everything they need once they arrive??

Rant over, sorry haha!

jennifer2977

NO NO AND OOOOO SO MUCH NO!! you are not crazy and I thank you for sharing your feelings about the whole feeling.. They are very lucky it wasn't me standing there because it would have been REALLY ugly.. Your time is something you can not get back once its gone it is gone!! I am so HAPPY you joined a gym... HUGS and much Love !!

Thank you!

beckipercy

I used to go to a small ladies only gym close to my house, run by two young women with some other women working as instructors. It is tiny, it's in a converted church, so has no swimming pool or anything, but has all the machines you need and has classes every day of the week too.

A few of my friends suggested I join a local chain gym and they would join too. I went and joined, and signed up to a year long contract. I must have gone to the gym about three times in that year. I had an initial assessment with some huge, muscly guy, who literally laughed when I told him my goal was to lose weight. I was told I would have a follow up assessment the next month and this never came. I was given a "personalised"workout which contained hardly any cardio and my workout card was lost and not replaced.

10 months into my year long membership, I gave up and went back to my old gym, thinking I could get away without them asking any questions since it had been so long. Literally as soon as I walked through the door I was greeted with "Becki! Hi, how are you?" I couldn't believe it. They make me feel so good, always asking how I am, referring to me by name and noticing when I lose weight, and it makes me want to keep going there.

I totally understand your decision and I wish I'd done the same with the gym I joined!!

BeautyFromPain

You were right to walk out!

I, for one, am planning to own my own gym one day and customer service is KEY!
They should be there helping you no matter what.... it is their job FFS!

zeeeb

i would have just walked in and started working out without paying, if they aren't going to greet you and check, use them up until they decide to catch you out for not paying, then tell them their customer service sucks and find a better gym.

calliope_music

dang i love my gym. even the cleaners are friendly!! the front desk attendants know my locker preference and everything. people are jumping all over to help me there.

mskari77

My husband and I were just talking about this the other night. The lack of customer service we as a society have allowed to be the norm is ridiculous! I don't blame you, I would have walked out as well. We belong to a locally owned gym here in our town, DePaepe's Gym, and they are absolutely fantastic!! I am sorry you found a crappy gym. I would definitely go elsewhere!

xraychick77

thats why i like the YMCA...so what if its not a 'hard core' gym. the people who work there are friendly and so are the other gym members (for the most part) i've made countless friends there. and everytime i go..even if its alone i always know someone there.

missfluffyuk

I'm with Jetts... The guys there are really nice, like to joke around & have always been there to help me. Even when there are instructions on the machines, I'm completely comfortable to ask them for help. I once mentioned I was afraid I'd fall off the treadmill and they said they'd try to catch me :laugh:

Even the other members are really nice and helpful. I wouldn't join a gym where I felt out of place -- because if you don't feel comfortable there, you won't go.